Good King Wenceslas
The Philadelphia Orchestra And Chorus Lyrics


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Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain

Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing




Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

Overall Meaning

The song "Good King Wenceslas" tells the story of a king named Wenceslas who decides to go on a journey during the feast of Stephen (December 26th). As he looks out over the snowy landscape, he sees a poor man gathering wood for fuel. The king then orders his page to accompany him to provide aid to the poor man. Despite the harsh winter weather, the king and page make their way through the snow to find the poor man and offer him food and drink. As they depart, the king reminds the page to follow in his footsteps and help those in need, as they will find blessings for themselves along the way.


This song is often associated with Christmas due to its references to Saint Stephen's Day and its wintery setting. The story of King Wenceslas is based on the true story of Saint Wenceslas I, who was a Duke of Bohemia in the 10th century. The song was written in 1853 by John Mason Neale, who adapted the lyrics from a poem by a Finnish writer named Piae Cantiones.


Line by Line Meaning

Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king, whose name is Wenceslas, looked outside


On the feast of Stephen
It was during the holiday called "Stephen's Day", which is the day after Christmas


When the snow lay round about
The ground was covered in snow


Deep and crisp and even
The snow was thick, cold, and smooth


Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon was shining brightly that night


Though the frost was cruel
Even though it was very cold outside


When a poor man came in sight
When a poor man came into view


Gath'ring winter fuel
He was collecting firewood to keep himself warm


Hither, page, and stand by me
"Come here, my assistant, and stand next to me"


If thou know'st it, telling
"If you know who that man is, tell me"


Yonder peasant, who is he?
"Who is that peasant over there?"


Where and what his dwelling?
"Where does he live and what is his house like?"


Sire, he lives a good league hence
"He lives about three miles away from here"


Underneath the mountain
"His house is located near a mountain"


Right against the forest fence
"It's right next to the forest"


By Saint Agnes' fountain
"It's by the fountain named after Saint Agnes"


Bring me flesh and bring me wine
"Bring me some meat and wine"


Bring me pine logs hither
"Bring me some pine logs over here"


Thou and I will see him dine
"You and I will watch him have dinner"


When we bear him thither
"When we take him to our castle"


Page and monarch forth they went
The king and his page set out


Forth they went together
They went together


Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the angry wind's howling


And the bitter weather
And the severe weather conditions


Sire, the night is darker now
"Sir, it's darker now than before"


And the wind blows stronger
"And the wind is blowing harder"


Fails my heart, I know not how,
"My heart is failing me and I'm not sure why"


I can go no longer.
"I cannot continue."


Mark my footsteps, my good page
"Follow my tracks, my loyal assistant"


Tread thou in them boldly
"Step confidently in them"


Thou shall find the winter's rage
"You will feel the full force of winter's fury"


Freeze thy blood less coldly.
"You will feel less cold."


In his master's steps he trod
The assistant followed in the king's footsteps


Where the snow lay dinted
Where the ground was marked by the king's steps


Heat was in the very sod
The ground was warm underneath


Which the Saint had printed
Saint Agnes had made the ground warm by walking on it


Therefore, Christian men, be sure
"So, Christian people, be certain"


Wealth or rank possessing
"Whether you are rich or poor"


Ye who now will bless the poor
"Those of you who help the poor"


Shall yourselves find blessing
"Will receive blessings themselves"




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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